Options in science

Tark is considering a career as a high school biology or science teacher, but he may pursue a non-teaching career that utilizes his biology major. In addition to majoring in biology and secondary education, he serves as a peer tutor and is a member of the men’s soccer team.

Caring community
When I first toured Northwestern’s campus, I felt a sense of security. I loved how I got to meet and talk to professors from both the biology and education departments. Daniel Swier, the men’s soccer coach, showed me that he cared about the players who were on his team. Most importantly, I realized Northwestern was a place where people truly loved God, and I wanted to be a part of that community.

Love of learning
I chose to major in biology because I love learning about genetics, ecology and microbiology. I find that everything in biology comes easy to me, and I’m fascinated by the order in biology—like how flower parts on plants are arranged or how fruit develops for angiosperms. I also feel called to be a teacher because I can explain biology well and I want to leave an impact on the next generation like my teachers did for me.

Generous and faithful
Northwestern’s biology professors excel at teaching students difficult material. They do their very best to make sure we understand what is going on. I appreciate how they give students the freedom to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes in labs. Professors in both my biology and chemistry classes integrate faith into our learning. In my General Biology class, we read a book that discussed science and the Bible, and we were given time to reflect and think about the topics that were covered.

Teaching tips
Since I’m preparing for a possible career teaching biology, my biology professors have helped me think about projects and labs I would be able to do with my future students. In General Biology, my professor would always tell me how I could modify whatever lab we were doing or what we were learning so I could use it in a high school classroom. Most importantly, my professors have prepared me by giving me the resources to succeed in class and to learn difficult material. They’ve pushed me to be the best student and future teacher I can be.